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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24991585">Melting Memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lori_yuy/pseuds/lori_yuy'>lori_yuy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Gen, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:13:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24991585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lori_yuy/pseuds/lori_yuy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aerith remembers and reminisces about her favorite summer treat.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aerith Gainsborough/Tseng, Rufus Shinra/Tseng</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Melting Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Author's Note:<br/>This is the first fic I've posted on AO3. I'm still trying to figure out the best formatting so that it reads better on both PC and phone.<br/>Please bear with me!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a sweltering hot day in Midgar.  Despite being below the plate, the massive hunks of steel work above trapped the heat in the gray undercity, making the undercity's residents even more miserable.</p><p>Sweat beaded on Tseng's forehead as his suit stuck uncomfortably to his form.  A quick glance at his watch signaled 2:30 PM.  He sighed and leaned against the back of the bear slide and took a sip of the bottled water he brought for the day.  Just beyond his vantage point, the objective was playing on the swings.</p><p>Aerith kicked her little legs forward on the swing, the inertia pushing her upwards and gravity pulled her back.  Elmyra, her adoptive mother, had a long work day today and permitted her to go play at the park with the presence of the dark suited man.</p><p>Tseng, his name was Tseng.</p><p>Both mother and child have by now gotten used to his constant presence in their lives.  Neither pretended he was there for good intentions however.  Surveillance on Aerith was Tseng's job and she knew what he wanted, but even at her young age, she had the stubbornness bred into her existence, remembering what Shinra did to her birth mother.</p><p><br/>A year has already passed since the day he showed up at Elmyra's house, asking Aerith to go back to Shinra. There is no way she is going willingly.  However, through the time that she knew of this man and his constant presence, she and her mother has learned that he is not an immediate threat and in more ways than one has shown that he is willing to help care for the young child.  Elmyra was a single widowed woman running a house hold. She needed as much help as she could get raising an adopted daughter while living in the slums.</p><p> </p><p>Tseng was in the midst of checking messages that had come through on his PHS when he heard footsteps approaching him.  Looking up...or down rather, Aerith's emerald eyes bore into him. "Mr. Tseng, can I get some ice cream?".</p><p>He examined the pleading look in the little girl's eyes. It really was a hot day.  There was an ice cream truck way back in the Sector 5 station, but suddenly an idea struck him.</p><p>"Aerith...would you like to try the best ice cream in Midgar?".  Small eyes became wide with curiosity.</p><p>"But we have to take the train to go there." Tseng continued.  Aerith gave him an accusatory look. "I'm not going to Shinra!".  Tseng couldn't help but smile at her indignant expression.</p><p>"I promise you I'm not taking you to Shinra."</p><p>"PINKY SWEAR!" and she held her right pinky up to his face, except it only reached his chest.  Still smiling, he swore his word to her with his right pinky.  This seemed to appease the girl and they walked towards the nearest station.</p><p>"Where are you taking me Mr. Tseng?". She peppered him with various other questions as the train left the station.</p><p>It was slightly crowded on the train by then, with the undercity's residents coming home from various jobs. He kept her close to him on the train.</p><p>"A famous ice cream shop in Sector 8, I have been personally recommended by a ...friend".  The tone in Tseng's voice piqued Aerith's interest and she reached a small hand out to touch him.</p><p>After a silent minute she smiled.</p><p>"Your friend is very important to you huh..."</p><p><br/>Thanks to all the lores that the science department had fed him, he knew that Aerith saw and felt his own memories. Memories of a blond boy, about his age. Memories of the secretly shared expensive ice cream cones since his own youth.</p><p>"I'm looking forward to trying the best ice cream in Midgar Mr. Tseng."</p><p> </p><p>Sector 8 was still busy when they arrived. The crowded train ride had apparently tired little Aerith out. She clung to him as they started walking down the wide business avenues of Sector 8.</p><p>10 minutes in, she stopped. Tseng stopped with her. "What's wrong?".<br/>"It's hot Mr. Tseng...."<br/>He watched as she slunk down towards the sidewalk.</p><p>He's seen this behavior before...from a certain blond.</p><p>"You don't want to walk anymore" He stated flatly but his voice tinged with slight amusement.  Lucky for him, Aerith is light. He leaned down and plucked her off the heated sidewalk. She looked pleased.  Tseng slung her legs into his arms and she held onto his shoulders while looking at all the shops they passed.</p><p> </p><p>She picked vanilla.....although it was made with the finest real vanilla beans. Tseng could not be more amused at her plain choice.  One blissful lick and she was all smiles. He gave himself a treat on this particular hot day to a coffee flavored cone.  The delicious melting sweet was starting to drip down the side of the cone and both are now eagerly devouring the treats before it melted away.  He took out a handkerchief and wiped the excess melted ice cream and cone crumbs off of her face when she was done.</p><p>"That really WAS the most delicious ice cream I've ever eaten Mr. Tseng! Thank you."</p><p>The sincerity she exhuded melted his heart but he felt too unworthy to deserve it. He carried her sleeping form on the train and all the way back to Elmyra's house.  A satisfied smile was plastered on her cherubic face when Elmyra took her from his arms and put her to bed.</p><p>She was not taken to Shinra that day.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>Aerith sighed as she looked over the field at her travel companions.  The heat of the day was not abating. Cloud looked like he could keep going, but the rest of the traveling band looked wary for wear.</p><p>"Can we take a break please?" a youthful voice called out next to her.  Yuffie wore an expression that spoke of grudges against the sun beating down on her.</p><p>"Alright, maybe when we get to that grove of trees over there." Cloud replied without looking back.</p><p>When they got there, Aerith stretched out and laid down under the cooling shade of the trees.  She took a swig of the now warm water in the traveling bottle.</p><p>"We sure caught a warm day today huh. Ice cream sounds good right now." Tifa said as she sat down next to her, near Cloud.</p><p><br/>"It sure does...." Cloud trailed as he stretched out. "But we're nowhere near where we can get ice cream Tifa."</p><p><br/>Yuffie popped her head out of the tall grass as she heard the words ICE CREAM.</p><p>"I'd like some next time we're in a town that sells it!"<br/>"I've never eaten this...ice cream thing you humans speak of." Red XIII added.  Yuffie's look of surprise made Aerith giggle.</p><p>Aerith stared at the passing wisps of clouds in the wide blue sky. She had seen that blue sky even in Midgar, up on the Sector 8 plate.  Her mind drifted as she thought of the things she missed, that they are all missing, on their grand journey.</p><p>She missed the steel plated sky hanging imposingly above the slums of Midgar.</p><p>She missed the buzz of people constantly trying to live out their lives despite not having much.</p><p>She missed her church and her flowers, the ones that are seemingly rare when she lived in Midgar, but now see so much of outside.</p><p>She missed selling her flowers in Sector 8.</p><p>She missed the cooling, creamy taste of that vanilla cone.</p><p>It had started on that day, but over the years, Tseng had taken her back there on many occasions.  It wasn't until she started selling flowers in Sector 8 when she found out how expensive those cones were.  The first time she got a cone with her own gil, it took more than half a day's worth of flower sales.</p><p>The feelings flooded her heart yet again.  For 14 years, he had paid for her luxury ice cream cones out of his own pocket.  The most expensive ice cream offered in the city. The most delicious.</p><p>She missed....the constant presence.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>Another hot day in Midgar. The sun beamed down the large wall to wall windows of the Executive Suite.  Tseng smiled at the memories flooding his thoughts.</p><p><br/>"What's gotten you into such a mood Tseng?" a too familiar voice sounded below him.</p><p><br/>Tseng looked down into beautiful cobalt blue eyes, staring at his own brown ones from the Presidential seat.</p><p><br/>"Sir."<br/>He paused but continued when curiosity shined through the blue eyes.<br/>"I was just thinking it might be a good day for some ice cream..."<br/>"Why Tseng, that sounds like a great idea. My treat."</p><p><br/>Knowing smiles passed between the two and the hot day went on.</p>
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